Heart of a SIN - FMA Envy Fanfic [Edited]

24 - True Identity

Arisa pov:

Shopping for Leo was fun. I bought him four pairs of clothes and two pairs of shoes – he was super happy and excited not just for receiving gifts for the first time but also because he wouldn't feel cold or hurt his feet anymore. I had the man at the shop make a small hole in the shorts and trousers to accommodate Leo's tail comfortably, and I also bought him a jacket that he would need if the weather got too cold.

On our way to the military headquarters, I had instructed him to keep anything and everything about Envy a secret, that mentioning him under any circumstance was forbidden so we could stay safe. He was quick to agree, obviously.

When we had stepped into the headquarters, we had received stares from the other personnel. They even whispered amongst themselves, eyeing Leo in disgust. Leo had cowered and stuck to me because of that but the soldiers looked away when I narrowed my eyes at them. They seemed mildly embarrassed and not just annoyed by a lower ranking soldier judging them for their attitude towards chimera. Upon taking a hold of Leo's hand, he had relaxed and given me an adorable smile before skipping next to me cheerfully.

"Okay, keep your cool, Arisa," I mumbled as I now stood in front of the office door. "I'm sure the colonel will understand."

With a deep breath, I knocked and let myself into the office. All gazes were on us immediately and Leo hid behind me, his ears drooping in nervousness. A hand on his head seemed to soothe his anxiousness and he relaxed slightly as we stepped to the colonel. While Lt. Hawkeye narrowed her eyes at me, I remained confident in attitude and posture.

"So, Arisa, Lt. Hawkeye said you have something to talk about," spoke the colonel, regarding me with a smile. It seemed that the lieutenant had not told him what I had to talk to him about. I was thankful for that.

"Yes, but I would like to talk in private. Can we go somewhere else?" I asked and received a slight frown.

However, he nodded and stood. He waited a moment while I kneeled in front of Leo and caressed his ears once while I spoke, "Leo, I want you to stay here until I come back. Be good and don't disturb anyone from their work, okay?"

A soft whimper escaped his lips as he shifted on his feet. "But Leo wants to be with Ari sama."

"Ari sama? It looks like you've got yourself a follower," Lt. Havoc mused.

Sparing a soft chuckle, I stood and said, "He doesn't know how to address to people otherwise. I've tried many times to get him to say just my name or at least call me nee san but he calls me Ari sama every time. I've let it go since he's just comfortable with it. Anyway, do you mind watch over him for a bit, Lt. Havoc?"

"Me?" he pointed to himself, seeming surprised by my request. "I don't know...I've never taken care of kids or chimera before."

"You won't really have to take care of him, per se. He won't cause any trouble but if you could make sure he doesn't leave the office room, that's more than enough. Give him some papers and a pen so he can pass the time drawing or something."

"I'll take care of him. Havoc is too much of a wimp if he says he can't even watch over a kid," said Lt. Breda with a mocking grin. It elicited a glare from Lt. Havoc before their faces were pressed up against each other, their brows twitching in anger.

"What did you say, fat boy?" hissed Lt. Havoc.

"You want a piece of me, wimp?"

"Bring it on, captain tubby!"

"You asked for it, smoke butt!"

A sigh escaped my lips when they broke into a fist fight. Busy with their name calling and fighting, they wouldn't be able to watch over Leo. Shaking my head, I looked to the only levelheaded person in the office, a silent request in my eyes.